ITC RULES FAVORABLY IN TRADE CASES, ADVANCES MATTER TO COMMERCE

    Weirton, WV -- Weirton Steel Corporation officials are pleased with a U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) unanimous ruling today stating evidence exists that cold-roll steel imports from 12 countries threatened the domestic steel industry in 1998.

    The six-member ITC has forwarded its case to the U.S. Commerce Department, which will now begin its investigation into the matter.

    "We're pleased with the first step in this investigation.  Today's ruling was key in moving this matter toward an eventual outcome that will prove illegal activity occurred and the perpetrators will pay for the harm inflicted on our industry and its employees," said Gregg Warren, Weirton Steel spokesman.

    The violation involves a selling practice known as "dumping."  Dumping occurs when a country sells its steel in the U.S. at a price below that which it sells the same product in its home market, or when a country sells its steel in the U.S. at prices below what it costs to produce.

    If Commerce also finds that the U.S. steel industry was harmed, it will issue a preliminary ruling and assess preliminary duties on future cold rolled entering the U.S. from the accused countries.  Such a decision from Commerce would be sent back to ITS, which would continue the investigation and determine if the duties should be enforced.

    The 12 countries targeted in the investigation include China, South Africa, Turkey, Brazil, Argentina, Thailand, Russia, Venezuela, Japan, Indonesia, Slovakia, and Taiwan.

    Cold-rolled imports from the defendant countries totaled 2.3 million tons in 1998, a 121 percent increase since 1996, a year when steel imports were at a relative norm.  The product from these countries represented over 63 percent of all cold rolled imported in 1998, the record year for all steel imports.

    Cold-rolled imports from the 12 countries captured nearly 14 percent of the U.S. market last year.  This compares to an average import market share of 11.3 percent in 1997 and 6.5 percent in 1996 for the same countries.

    Illegally priced and subsidized steel imports have been blamed for recent financial losses at U.S. steel mills and the loss of thousands of steel jobs.